UNICEF Wednesday appealed for more than 750 million US dollar to help millions of children struggling to survive conflicts and other emergencies in countries around the world, saying that the tsunami had shown that people care deeply about children in desperate situations but are often not aware of them.
– We have witnessed a truly spectacular response from the global public – a combination of compassion, speed, and generosity that allowed UNICEF to immediately help save lives, said UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy.
– We are appealing to that same generosity of spirit that brought people and nations together around the tsunami crisis. The new year began with a new spirit of human solidarity, a realization that what happens in one corner of the world affects us all, she added.
Launching UNICEFs annual report on children in crisis countries, Bellamy cited the continuing conflict in Democratic Republic of Congo, which has taken the lives of over 3 million people in just five years, and the crisis in northern Uganda, which she said is one of the worst emergencies facing children anywhere.
At any given time between one-quarter and one-third of the 158 countries that UNICEF is working in are affected by emergencies arising from conflict, economic crises, natural disasters or a combination of these.
The appeal provides an overview of UNICEFs emergency programs in 33 of these countries and territories, and seeks 763 million dollar (4,27 milliarder DKR) in donor support for relief efforts aimed at keeping children alive, protecting them, and providing them with basic services.
Among the countries included in the 2005 appeal are Uganda, Somalia, Burundi, DR Congo, Sierra Leone, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Colombia and Haiti. Two-thirds of the countries are in Africa.
It includes an extraordinary appeal for Sudan – more than 289 million dollar – to cover humanitarian relief in the south, where a recent peace accord is creating new hope, and in the western Darfur region, which until the tsunami was considered perhaps the world’s most pressing humanitarian hotspot.
– The camera has a way of shifting focus when a new emergency strikes, constantly urging our attentions onward. But while we may forget some emergencies, we should not forget the children who are caught up in them, Bellamy said.
– Every day, children are being killed, maimed and recruited to fight in wars. They are being wrenched from their families, forced to witness violence, and to endure the slow and painful consequences of having their health neglected, she added.
During emergencies, children are especially vulnerable to disease, malnutrition and violence. Nearly half of the 3,6 million people killed in conflict during the 1990s (45 per cent) were children.
Millions more children were seriously injured or permanently disabled, or endured sexual violence, trauma, hunger and disease. Around 20 million children were forced from their homes and communities by conflict.
In all emergencies, UNICEF focuses firstly on the survival of the children, which means providing health care, water and sanitation and adequate nutrition. UNICEF is also there to bring immediate protection to children who have been abandoned or separated from their families, enrolled in army or rebel groups or otherwise exploited and abused.
UNICEF also helps children recover from the psychological distress associated with emergencies, a key component of which is getting children back to school as soon as possible. In schools, children are also in easier reach of health care, food, water and sanitation.
Bellamy commended The European Commission Humanitarian Office (ECHO), the third largest donor to UNICEF emergencies programs, for recently giving UNICEF two grants totalling more than 7 million euro to enhance emergency preparedness and response.
– Thanks to this generous donation, we will be able to work more efficiently and swiftly in coordinating emergency responses with our partners and bolster our efforts to protect children in emergencies from exploitation and abuse, she said.
Resources requested in the current appeal would enable UNICEF to provide a full-range of immediate and longer-term support to children in emergencies, including such things as
– basic health services, safe water and sanitation systems,
– immunization against deadly diseases,
– demobilization and reintegration of child soldiers,
– access to emergency education and legal support and
– protection from exploitation and abuse.
– UNICEFs work in emergencies not only saves childrens lives but gives the most vulnerable children a chance at a decent future, Bellamy said adding: – This appeal may seem like a lot of money, but for the tens of millions for children in these countries, it is simply about survival, safety, and a little bit of hope.
A Tsunami Thank You
While announcing its appeal for other emergencies, UNICEF said that its funding requirements for tsunami relief and reconstruction were close to being met.
With close to 300 million dollar already received from government and individual donors, and with a small number of notable fundraising events soon to take place, UNICEF said it expected to receive enough to meet its requirements for the foreseeable future. The agency said that apart from those events already planned, it would not initiate any new fundraising projects.
– We are inviting people who gave so generously for the tsunami to consider working with UNICEF in other areas of the world where the lives, rights, and survival of millions of children are likewise under assault. These are battles than can be fought simultaneously, in the tsunami zone and in other countries in crisis, if we all work together, Bellamy said.
UNICEF has delivered tens of millions of dollars of life-saving relief to the tsunami zone and will continue to support basic recovery. The agency will also play a role in the longer-term reconstruction of vital services for children, including schools and health centers.
Kilde: www.unicef.dk
